Hipodromo fire victims can rebuild homes

SOME of the 1,195 individuals displaced by the fire that razed down 162 houses and establishments in two sitios in Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City last September may be allowed to rebuild their homes this month.

This developed after the Department of Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) announced that they will be distributing the certificates of ownership of 105 house lots to selected beneficiaries.

DWUP Operations Officer, Genevieve Alcoseba, told reporters yesterday that the city government is now wrapping up its conversion of ground zero into an area ready for occupation.

“Nag-filling nami sa area didto. Hapit nami mahuman. Unya naay technical team deployed para mag-conduct ug home lot survey sa area (The area’s been filled already. We’re almost done. And there’s a technical team deployed to conduct a home lot survey in the area),” said Alcoseba.

She added that the distribution of certificates will be on November 20, after which the affected residents will be allowed to reconstruct their houses.

Each house lot is estimated to have an area of 24 square meters, and may house one to two families.

Alcoseba also said that the city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) will be placing culverts around the property to avoid flooding by diverting rainwater to the nearby Hipodromo creek.

“Naa nasad ang Veco (Visayan Electric Company Corp.) ug ang MCWD (Metropolitan Cebu Water District) para mataod ang linya sa kuryente ug tubig (Veco and MCWD are also there to install the electricity and water lines),” she added.

On September 28, over 100 houses, including the one owned by Rupinto Bacolod, Hipodromo’s village chief, were burned down by the fire which was blamed on a faulty electrical wiring system.

The damage was pegged at P2 million.